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VFK Beach Quest
Description With this past Memorial Day unofficially welcoming the warm days of the summer season, many people start thinking about visiting their favorite beach! From the Atlantic to the Pacific, the US has a wide variety of beaches for those who love the sand, waves and sun! Some beaches offer huge crashing waves and rocky shorelines and cool temperatures, while others are smooth as glass with soft sand and gentle breezes. On today's quest, grab your sunscreen and your favorite beach chair and let's look more closely at our favorite place to visit in the summer, the beach! Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and a Tidal Wave Chair! Prizes Questions 1. What do you like to do when you go to a beach? Many people love to just put a blanket out on the sand and relax in the sun. There are many types of sand, in fact, sand is unique for each beach, like a fingerprint. What characteristics help you identify where sand may be from? * Size of the grains * Shape of the material * Material that makes up the sand * All of the above 2. The color of the sand on a beach depends on what types of material the beach is composed of. If the sand contains a lot of quartz the beach will be a shiny white. A high amount of feldspar will result in an orange tinted beach. Common black minerals such as mica and hornblende will give the sand a dark cast. You can even find beaches with a high percentage of shells or coral. Go to Outside the Mercantile in Western Age and say: "Sunset on the shore!" 3. Beaches are constantly changing landforms molded by the wind and waves. They are in an ongoing process of building up and eroding away. There are two separate processes which are responsible for depositing sand on the shore. Much sand is suspended in sea water, and is carried along the shoreline by the "longshore current". The sand is agitated by waves breaking onto and receding from the beach. What is this depositing and taking away process called? * Littoral drift * Continental drift * Drift wood * For sure drift 4. The look of a beach can vary considerably through the year. There are seasonal cycles which can affect a beach dramatically. A beach can be wide and gently sloping in summer, then steep and narrow in winter. A violent storm can even make beach sand vanish overnight. Go to the Audubon's Tranquil Waterfall in Western Age and say: "Where did the sand go?" 5. When ocean waves approach the shore, they break and form a foamy bubbling action called surf. The area where the waves break is called the surf zone. Which of the following kinds of animals do not thrive in the surf zone of a beach? * Crabs * Clams * Squirrels * Snails 6. Animals that live in the surf zone are fast burrowers. They burrow down into the sand to keep from being dragged into the ocean by the waves and tides. They also burrow to protect themselves from predators. The surf zone is full of nutrients, oxygen, and sunlight on which these creatures thrive. Go to Inside the Marshall's Office in Western Age and say: "Let's dig in the sand!" 7. Currents are another reality of the beach. When waves flow onto the beach, they stream back into the ocean as a "backwash." You can feel this backwash on your feet when you stand on the edge of the waves. In most instances, backwash currents are not dangerous, but sometimes water which is running back into the ocean can become concentrated into powerful "rip currents". What are you supposed to do if you are caught in a rip current when swimming? * Swim directly toward the shore * Swim parallel to the shore * Swim against the current * Tread water 8. Even if you are a powerful swimmer, if you are caught in a rip current, don't waste your energy swimming toward the shore. Swimmers tire quickly trying to fight the current and may begin to panic. Life guards recommend that you swim parallel to the shore, not toward it. Rip currents are rarely more than a few feet wide and if you let the current carry you for a ways, you'll escape the current and can then swim toward shore. Go to the Central Square in Medieval Age and say: "Enjoy the surf and sun!" 9. One typical sight at a beach is a lifeguard station. Almost all beaches with lifeguards have a system of colored flags they use to alert beach goers to any dangers at the beach. Familiarize yourself with the warning system used by the beach you visit. What does a red flag mean at most beaches? * High hazard, high surf and/or strong currents * Dangerous marine life * Low hazard, calm conditions, exercise caution * Medium hazard, moderate surf and/or currents 10. Life-Guarding, a term often used to describe the duties of Life Guards, dates back in the United States as an official role in support of community beaches to the mid 1800's. Go to the Galactic Trading Post in Space Age and say: "It is the best place around!" Answers 1. All of the above 2. Go to Outside the Western Mercantile in Western Age and say: "Sunset on the shore!" 3. Littoral drift 4. Go to the Audubon's Tranquil Waterfall in Western Age and say: "Where did the sand go?" 5. Squirrels 6. Go to Inside the U.S. Marshalls Office in Western Age and say: "Let's dig in the sand!" 7. Swim parallel to the shore 8. Go to the Central Square in Medieval Age and say: "Enjoy the surf and sun!" 9. High hazard, high surf and/or strong currents 10. Go to the Galactic Trading Post in Space Age and say: "It is the best place around!" Category:Quests